Seattle Mariners offense looks for punch

Veteran hitters have optimism on upswing

July 17, 2012 - Seattle Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak (17) is congratulated by third base coach Jeff Datz (28) after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

After finishing last in the American League West for the past three seasons — and seven of the past nine — the Seattle Mariners hope they have the offense to contend in a very powerful division.

It won’t be easy, given how the power-packed Angels added even more punch with the addition of slugger Josh Hamilton, or considering the Rangers are one year removed from playing in back-to-back World Series, and that the A’s surprised nearly everyone last season en route to the division title.

Seattle, though, has added a nice collection of veteran bats to the least productive offense in the American League, and it will be interesting to see how Kendrys Morales, Michael Morse, Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez help bolster a young and improving team.

At the very least, it should take some pressure off youngsters Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley and Kyle Seager.

“I feel confident as ever in regard to our future here in Seattle,” manager Eric Wedge told reporters. “The only thing I can tell you is we will be better. And we will continue to get better. That’s what happened the last couple years. And at some point, sooner rather than later, we will be a championship team.”

The Mariners, who dealt longtime right-fielder Ichiro Suzuki last July, tried to shoot for the stars this winter by making a serious offer to Hamilton and then attempting to trade for Justin Upton.

But the players they were able to add, coupled with a pitching staff anchored by Felix Hernandez that ranked fourth in the AL in team ERA (3.76), have created real optimism.

Last season

Though they finished last again, the Mariners made an eight-win improvement to 75-87 and managed to play mostly around .500 after the All-Star break.

That was encouraging, but this was not: Seattle finished last in the league in batting (.234), on-base percentage (.296), slugging percentage (.369) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.665).

The Mariners were even worse at home, hitting just .220 at Safeco Field — the ninth-lowest team batting average by a home team since 1921. After the season, it was determined the fences would be moved in for 2013.

Hernandez was a bright spot, going 13-9 despite a rough final month. In August, he pitched the 21st perfect game in history during a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay.

Question mark

Following the trade of Jason Vargas to the Angels for Morales and the loss of free agent Kevin Millwood, the Mariners were on the lookout for more starting pitching.

And they need it, considering Hisashi Iwakuma projects as their No. 2 starter behind Hernandez. Iwakuma has a good upside, but Seattle needs a dependable front-end pitcher who can log 200 innings and bring some real consistency.

The good news is the Mariners do have some spending flexibility and a host of top young prospects with whom to work. They could dangle one and make a trade or simply wait and bide their time.

It’s probably too early to expect anything yet from 20-year-old right-hander Taijuan Walker, but with him, left-hander Danny Hultzen and right-hander James Paxton, there is solid young depth that will be ready soon enough.

Star to watch

Hernandez looked like he might be on his way to another Cy Young Award for a time last season and he remains the cornerstone of the franchise, but keep an eye on his battery mate.

In his first full season in the majors, Montero hit .260 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 135 games. His power numbers figured to excel regardless of whether they decided to move the fences in at Safeco.

Just 23, Montero is still coming into his own, and Wedge indicated he plans to use him more behind the plate than last year, when Montero caught 56 games and spent 78 as the designated hitter.

Montero will likely be hitting in the middle of the Mariners’ lineup for years to come and could eventually emerge into an elite slugger.

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